Hello all,

This is my first post so please be gentle.
I haven't had a heli for over 10 years so I presume that they progressed a little since then.
I had a Mystar 30 with an OSXH60 motor and fast servos and used a JR tx.
I have just got the bug back again and am looking at a Skyartec Wasp V3. I see that these electric heli's are a lot cheaper than what I paid for mine at the turn of the century and I am wondering if I'm going to get the quality that I was used to.
To be honest my skills weren't excellent, I could hover and just about manage a figure of 8 but my worst incident was a heavy landing, costing me a boom and a new set of carbon blades.
Does anyone have any experience of the Skyartec Wasp and if so would you recommend one for me or would I be more sensible starting at the beginning again and go for a 4ch model such as the Double Horse 9116 to get the feel of things again?
Any advise would be helpful.

Regards,

Gary.

The Wasp V3 is very fragile and parts are expensive. I have a V3 with many upgrades and I would have been much better off avoiding it. But, if you are really intent on buying one, I'll sell you mine for $25 for parts. The metal head and tail cost almost $100 and have never been flown. A 250 size CP heli is quite difficult to fly, too.

A DH 9116 is about as tame as a single rotor heli gets. You may find it's much too easy. It will not teach you much. It also has reliability issues. They are quite popular in Australia, due to the cost versus other brands. If you live in the USA, a Blade 120SR is probably a better model to start with.

Originally Posted by Balr14

The Wasp V3 is very fragile and parts are expensive. I have a V3 with many upgrades and I would have been much better off avoiding it. But, if you are really intent on buying one, I'll sell you mine for $25 for parts. The metal head and tail cost almost $100 and have never been flown. A 250 size CP heli is quite difficult to fly, too.

A DH 9116 is about as tame as a single rotor heli gets. You may find it's much too easy. It will not teach you much. It also has reliability issues. They are quite popular in Australia, due to the cost versus other brands. If you live in the USA, a Blade 120SR is probably a better model to start with.

Thanks for the advise, I am in the UK so the postage would probably make it not realistic to buy yours.
I am not intent on buying the Wasp, it was the first model that caught my eye. Is there anything that you would suggest is suitable for me considering it's over 10 years since I've had a tx in my hands. I would be looking for something that can be tame but can also let me develop.
Are parts readily available for these heli's and is the cost reflective of the purchase price of the complete unit or are some more economical to repair than others?

Gary.

I would still check out the cost of the Blade 120SR. If it's not to prohibitive, it's still about the best place to start. It's very durable and quite responsive. A Walkera V200D01 is a nice heli, if the price isn't too bad. It's not real durable, though. But, overall a better performer and learning tool. There are also a few very inexpensive and durable micros (V911 and 9958) that will get you going. Their physics are unrealistic and they are too stable, so they do leave quite a gap to the next level. They are better than a DH 9116 though.

I had a gap of more than 10 years as well and basically, I lost every skill except hovering. Whereas previously, I got to the level of basic aerobatics.

Things have changed a lot in 10 years. The helis now are much more powerful than those you used to fly. The standard outdoor heli is the 450 which is much twitchier and scarier than the 0.30 you used to fly. It is best to avoid a 250 or 450 for the moment. I know quite a few old timers like me who have had a lot of trouble in adjusting to a 450.

I would suggest that you re-enter this hobby with a cheap indoor FP heli first. The WL Toys V911 is the heli of the moment by popular acclaim. After that, I would look at 100 - 120 sized CPs such as the Blade MCPx or the Walkera Mini CP.

Originally Posted by Balr14

I would still check out the cost of the Blade 120SR. If it's not to prohibitive, it's still about the best place to start. It's very durable and quite responsive. A Walkera V200D01 is a nice heli, if the price isn't too bad. It's not real durable, though. But, overall a better performer and learning tool. There are also a few very inexpensive and durable micros (V911 and 9958) that will get you going. Their physics are unrealistic and they are too stable, so they do leave quite a gap to the next level. They are better than a DH 9116 though.

Thanks for your help, I will research the models you've suggested and make my choice in the next week or so.
regarding the DH 9116, I was considering it as a tool for just getting the feel of things. My daughter would like a "toy" heli, so I was thinking of killing 2 birds with 1 stone and letting her use the DH and see if she has the skills to improve.

Gary.

The biggest problem with the DH9116 is reliability. The motors and boards fail easily and the wiring is suspect. You will spend a great deal of time getting and keeping them in the air and you are going to need some serious soldering skills. Better to buy 2 or 3 V911 or 9958 helis. One for each of you and one for spares.

I don't really want a smaller heli than I had before. The general rule of thumb used to be that the smaller the heli, the harder it is to fly, which is why i was looking for something of 30 size or thereabouts but it seems that from my interpretation of what is being said is that a 450 would be harder to control than a smaller model.
I once had a go with a 60 (I cant remember what it was) and found it far more stable than my Mystar30.
I'm totally undecided now. Perhaps I should start a new thread asking for a stable30 size heli for someone who hasn't flown for a long time.

Gary.

Originally Posted by gtfreight

I don't really want a smaller heli than I had before. The general rule of thumb used to be that the smaller the heli, the harder it is to fly, which is why i was looking for something of 30 size or thereabouts but it seems that from my interpretation of what is being said is that a 450 would be harder to control than a smaller model.
I once had a go with a 60 (I cant remember what it was) and found it far more stable than my Mystar30.
I'm totally undecided now. Perhaps I should start a new thread asking for a stable30 size heli for someone who hasn't flown for a long time.

Gary.

A 450 is not harder to control than a smaller CP heli. It is more difficult to control than a smaller FP heli with a offset self-stabilizing flybar.

I used to fly 0.30 and 0.60 helis but I don't see any need to go back to them. My 0.60 as so stable that I once flew it with the gyro turned off which I only realized once I have landed it. A massive improvement in electronics, especially with gyros and FBL systems meant that much smaller electric helis can feel as stable in the same wind conditions.

Hirobo Shuttles are still available if you want them. But the truth is CPs today are much more powerful than those 10 years ago because almost every brand is geared towards extreme 3D. You will need some time to adjust to these new models. Of course, you can always use tamer settings or get an flight assistant such as a KDS Flymentor to help you.

The one I used to fly was a fuel powered one and not electric, does this have any bearing on my choice as I don't want to down the path of "engined" models again.

The micros suggested are nothing like what you think. They are self-stabilizing with offset flybar and head designs that smooth movement and makes them self-leveling. The average 12 year old can master one in a week. They will also absorb many crashes with little or no damage. They are the preferred beginner heli for anyone. If you want something a bit more exciting and a little bigger, buy an MQx quad.

Regardless of how easy or hard larger models are to fly, they are a lot easier to break. You aren't learning much if you fly for 30 seconds and wait a week for parts. There really are no larger beginner FP helis I would recommend. They all have significant flaws in design or quality control.

Today's electric models rival gas/nitro models of the same size in performance. Many people are converting big models to electric. With the brushless motors, high capacity ESCs and lipo batteries, electric is the way to go. In the world of RC cars and off-road racing, electric easily out-performs nitro. It's hard to beat maximum torque in less than 1 second. 1/8 scale Electric off-road monster trucks will do standing back flips.

I have spotted a Walkera V200d01 for sale on here. Would that be suitable for me? The ad' states that it has the advantage of belt drive, am I correct in thinking that that the advantage is the cost of replacement over a shaft drive?

Gary.

The V200D01 is a nice heli. Belt drive is definitely cheaper maintenance. Walkera shaft drive breaks tail gears like they were styrofoam.

Thanks for your help. This one comes with 3 lipo batteries and is $160 including shipping and has a Walkera 2603 tx. Does this sound reasonable to you?
Thanks,
Gary.

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